Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 1 – Duty Calls
Rivers of blood through the streets of the Big Apple
Assignment: No. 33
Locate the source of the Heaven Smile and eliminate the God Hand
"DRAGON UP!"
Jacob Luke "Jake" Long
Inside the temple and morphing into his draconic form, Jacob Luke Long prepared to fight about a dozen Huntsclan, including the Huntsman himself. All were armed to the teeth and were situated around a golden altar at the top of a large staircase, where what laid on it was Jake's prize.
Rose.
"Dragon," the Huntsman begun, "Do you really think you can take on all of us by yourself? Is she really worth that much to you?"
Jake smirked, "Let's dance, yo!"
The Huntsman pointed a finger at the American Dragon and the Huntsmembers all charged at him, yelling their battle cries and waving their staffs. Jake launched himself forward, knocking several of them over, before swinging his tail and sending some more flying into the temple's wall, shattering every bone in their bodies. The Huntsmembers on the floor picked themselves up and fired their staffs.
"Missed me!" Jake taunted, before letting loose his fiery breath and incinerating the Huntsmembers, where they screamed as they turned to ash.
Several more Huntsmembers hurled themselves at Jake, where he spin-kicked them back onto the floor, before brining his foot down on the chest of one of them, ending his short life. He then grabbed the throat of another and tore into his chest with his free hand, pulling out his heart and crushing, blood spraying all over his face.
He dropped the Huntsmember's body when he felt an energy bolt strike him from behind. He looked predatorily at the Huntsman, who had his bow equipped.
"So, you can fight ruthlessly," the Huntsman said, "And I was beginning to think you don't take this seriously."
"I'll show you 'seriously'," Jake growled, before charging at the Huntsman.
Jack ducked to avoid the Huntsman's punch, before delivering a head butt, which gave him a serious concussion. Jake then punched his enemy across the face twice, the sounds of his skull cracking, before sweeping him off his feet and onto the ground. Jake then cried out in might as he begun to throttle the Huntsman, punching him into the floorboards, feeling adrenaline pump through himself and strengthen his punches. The wet sounds of impact filled his ears, and drove him on.
Soon the Huntsman was nothing but a smear on the floor, where Jake stood up and reverted back to his human form. His eyes then fixated on the golden altar on the steps. He gradually caught his breath, before beginning his ascent upward towards the love of his life.
"I'm coming Rose," he yelled out as he begun to run up the stairs.
He soon reached her, where he looked down at the sleeping beauty. He couldn't help but smile, seeing her face so peaceful. He then leaned over, moving his face closer to hers, before touching her lips with hers.
He quickly pulled back when he saw her smile softly and her eyes flutter.
"Rose?"
Her eyes opened slowly, where she took in the visage of Jake, where she then smiled big. Jake enveloped her hand with his.
"It's alright, Rose," Jake reassured her, smiling as well, "The Huntsclan's finished. We can be together now."
Rose suddenly giggled at her words, which Jake didn't expect from somehow like her, but still smiled himself. It slowly faded when Rose's begun to laugh loudly and somewhat uncontrollably.
"Rose?" Jake exclaimed, "What's so fun…ARGH!"
He then felt her foot smash into his face, sending him falling down the steps painfully, before hitting the ground amidst the bodies of the Huntsclan. He moaned in pain, trying to process in his head what just happened.
"Why'd you do that for?" he questioned out loud, looking up at her glaring, which quickly faded when he saw what was up there, "What the…?"
Rose stood on the altar, a very wide smile on her face and maniacal laughter echoing around her. She looked down at Jake as he got up on his feet, seeing him recover quickly from his fall. She then leapt off the altar and begun falling downward towards him, arms stretched forward.
"NO!" Jake screamed, seeing how she wouldn't survive the fall.
Not that it mattered to Rose, as she was laughing like crazy as she fell towards him, as if ready to bomd-dive him.
"DRAGON UP!" Jake cried, before taking to air to catch her in his arms.
Just before he could reach her however, the sound of machine-gun fire filled the air, and Rose was suddenly riddled with bullets. She continued to laugh, just before she exploded into red particles in midair. Jake's eyes were wide in the horror…
"ROSE!"
…before spinning around to see whoever it was that shot her. It was some guy in a tan-coLaored suit with a brown tie and a broad hat, and was holding a smoking tommy gun in one hand. Overall, he looked like a Mafia hitman.
Jake glared at the man.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" he shouted distressfully at the strange man.
"I just saved your life, Jake Long," the man replied calmly, "Be thankful I spared you are horrible, and degrading, death."
Jake felt anger rise up in him, before he darted forwards towards the man, who then raised his tommy gun and shook his head softly.
"You're a fool to make me do this," the man sighed.
He then squeezed the trigger and fired, where bullets tore through Jake's hide and out the other end. Jake screamed in pain, before it was silenced when a bullet went through his throat, and he found he couldn't breath.
"AWWWWWWKKKKKKK!"
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He felt his nose pinched together and no oxygen coming in while he slept. His eyes shot open and he sat up forward from his bed, where he noticed Haley standing right next to his bed, smiling mischievously as he struggled to catch his breath.
Haley Kay Long"Haley!" Jake cried out, catching his breath and eyeing his sister, "What the hey…?"
"You slept past nine," Haley replied, smiling tenaciously, "Mom told me to wake you up with, and I quote, 'any means necessary.'"
Jake looked at his seven-year old sister with total vehemence, before grabbing his pillow.
"Get outta here!"
Haley screamed as she ran out, just missing being struck with Jake's pillow as he hurled it, leaving her brother to sit up on his bed, and ponder on what just happened within his head.
'What was heck was that all about?' Jake thought, remembering his nightmare and how it involved the Huntsman, Rose…and some Mafia jock from some bad '30s gangster film.
Soon Jake was on his skateboard en-route to his Gramps' electronic store, Canal Street Electronics, where he was still thinking on that dream, and which his two closest friends Trixie and Spud noticed as they rode with him. Trixie looked at Jake, questioningly.
"Hey Jake, why aren't you sayin' anything?" Trixie asked, "You've been quiet since we left your pad'."
Trixie Carter"Huh?" Jake begun, then quickly collected himself and said, almost yelling out, "Oh, hey Trix, Spud. What's up, yo?"
"Hey, you noticed us," Spud said with a hint of sarcasm.
Arthur "Spud" SpudinskiJake shook his head slightly, trying to focus.
"Sorry, guys; just got a lot on my mind. Had one heck of a nightmare this morning."
"Lemme' guess: It's Rose," Trixie guessed, smiling slightly.
"You psychic?"
"No, I didn't use my 'psychic powers' to guess what you're always thinkin'," Trix said, before jumping off her skateboard, "You've really got to stop worryin' about her."
"What?" Jake questioned, hopping off his board as well.
"She's right, man," Spud said, also stopping himself and looking closely at Jake, "You gotta let her go sometime. She's tried to kill you…what…er…"
Spud then rolled his eyes, trying to figure out how many time Rose, as the Huntsgirl, tried to kill Jake, who was previously oblivious to the fact that he was the American Dragon.
"Nuts," Spud cursed, "Lost count."
Jake felt like being angry at Spud, where he had just asked him to forget her, which he could never do, so he just chuckled at Spud's dry humour, "I appreciate what you're sayin', but…"
He downcast his eyes, feeling slight sadness envelope him.
"…when it comes to her, I'd never let her go."
Spud and Trixie rolled their eyes at one another, worried. They then turned to Jake, where Spud gave him a friendly pat on the back.
"We understand," Spud said.
Jake jumped on his board and continued on…
"HEY, WATCH OUT JAKE!"
…where he was oblivious to the fact that, despite Trixie calling out to him, he skated right into a pedestrian, where the both of them fell onto the pavement. Trix and Spud stared wide-eyed, before running toward Jake and the guy he just pLaoghed into.
The guy in question, who picked himself up, was dressed in a dark blue business suit and tie with slightly messy black hair and some of the biggest sideburns to ever be seen, brushed the dust of his suit. He then stared down at Jake, who was smiling nervously up back at him.
"Watch were you're going, kid," the man said in a slow, almost arrogant tone of voice, "People walk on these paths, y'know."
"My bad," Jake merely replied, picking himself up.
The man noticed Trixie and Spun running to Jake's side. He smiled, catching their attention.
"Better keep him on a leash. Never know when he might find himself in the middle of a highway," the man said whilst giving a rather sly smirk, before turning and walking away.
The guys looked at the man, seeing him go. Trixie frowned.
"That guy sounded like some pompous jerkoff."
"You said it, Trixie," Trixie agreed.
However Jake didn't share their thoughts. He brushed himself up before thinking, 'Well, that was really unexpected.'
----------
Soon they arrived at the tech shop, where the guys hopped off their boards and walked in, where Fu Dog was the first to greet them.
"Hey, Jake," Fu cried out enthusiastically, "Long time no see?"
Fu Dog"I stopped by yesterday," Jake replied, "And the day before that, and the day before that."
Fu's eyes widened, not only that just for once his favourite guy not taking a joke, "What happened to you? Dive off a cliff?"
"Yeah, a really big one," Jake uttered, rolling his eyes, "Where's Gramps?"
"Out back and on the phone," Fu replied, jumping off the table and grabbing a soda out of the fridge, "He's being on it for two hours and countin'."
"Don't worry, I'll get his attention, big time," Jake said with his usual laid-back attitude.
As Spud and Trixie were about to follow them…
"Hey T & S?"
They turned to Spud, who tossed a couple of soda's there way, they were almost cried out as they caught them.
"You guys chill here. Dragon business!"
Out back…
"Of course he'd be able to perform this task, Councillor," Lao spoke into the phone, "Since when has he failed us?"
Luong Lao ShiWe can not let his attitude get on Councillor Rowan's bad side, the other line replied, He may be the American Dragon, and he may have banished the Dark Dragon for now. But…
"Say no more," Lao interrupted, not wanting Kulde to break out in speech, "I shall remind him where his loyalties lie. Goodbye."
He then hung the phone and rubbed his forehead. This was definitely a first: Councillor Kulde decided to speak to him over the phone, not through pixie massaging.
"Yo, Gramps…"
Lao turned around to see Jake in the doorway, smiling and with his arms crossed.
"You call for the Am-Drag?"
"I did not call for you, but you are just the person I want to see now, young dragon," Lao replied, "The Dragon Council is giving you are new assignment."
"Aw, man," Jake sighed, "And today happens to be Saturday too."
"It will not take long," Lao explained, standing up from his chair, "They merely want you to contact a very important visitor who has come here in time for the next Dragon Summit."
"Who is it?" Jake asked.
Lao picked up a photo from a nearby table and handed it Jake, who saw it was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a goatee.
"Councillor Rowan," Lao said while Jake studied the picture, "He and his entourage appreciates bodyguard detail while they head for Dracos, and would very much like you to be their guide."
Jake nodded, "Alright. Point me they're direction and I'll get him to Dracos in a flash."
"They're staying at the Celtic Hotel near the Projects, kid," Fu said as he walked in, "So it's gonna be a long walk, plus I heard it's a bad neighbourhood."
"Tch…no problem. That's why they invented the subway and if some joker tries to pick a fight, I'll kick their butt from here to Seattle," Jake smirked.
"Yes," Lao nodded, "And one more thing…"
Lao peered in closely at Jake with a frown, where the boy felt his heartbeat increase slightly.
"Er…Gramps?" Jake said, "You're makin' me feel very uncomfortable."
"You have to control what you say and do when you're around Rowan," Lu explained with slight sternness, "He thinks little of this city and those who reside in it, so you have to make a good impression on him."
Jake laughed nervously, "Ok then. I'm gone."
Jake, Spud and Trixie stepped out the shop, where immediately he frowned upon his feet touching the asphalt outside.
"Now what's up?" Trixie asked.
"Duty calls, you guys," Jake replied, "I'll catch you later."
Trixie and Spud's looked at each in surprise, before they nodded.
"Sure bud'," Spud said, sounding slightly sad, "Meet you at the skate park later."
Jake nodded and the trio took their separate ways, where they did not notice the black sedan parked at the other side of the street, and it's driver watching the trio closely, his hands firmly on the wheel. He had sound monitoring equipment set up in the car, which caught everything that was said in the tech shop, much to the man's annoyance.
'Why couldn't we get Con for this job?' he thought, 'His ears are practically a pair of radars.'
He then saw Jake take off down the street, where then put the car into drive and begun to slowly follow him, putting his car only in first gear.
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Jake was soon hearing the sound of metal wheels grinding against track as he sat on the rough seats on the train, skateboard under one arm, being thankful to have grabbed himself a seat before the train filled up with New Yorkers, almost making him believe he can catch claustrophobia.
'And it's suppose to the weekends,' Jake thought irritant, 'Now I know how dad feels during rush hour!'
The train roared past some subway worker as he was busy wiping graffiti off an advertisement, luckily wearing headphones to drown out the sound, but he could still feel the breeze. Within him, frustration grew ever so slowly.
'God, I should have chosen the janitorial job at the school. I heard that place is statistically safer.'
Soon he had gotten rid of the scrawls off the advert and walked towards the maintenance entrance/exit, head bobbing to the music. As he opened the door…
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
…he froze, hearing the laugh which came from the other side of the door chill his blood.
"What was that?" he questioned to himself, then frowned, "Goddamn punk kids trying to spook me."
He pulled out a spanner and opened the door slowly, revealing it's darkness. He saw two eyes, illuminated. He glared.
"Hey," he growled, "You're not suppose to be there!"
He then saw whoever it was in the darkness smile, which was illuminated. The worker's eyes widened, seeing the figure step closer, his eyes now changing to a ferocious red, his smile widening across his face. It then laughed as the figure lunged forward…
And Jake was still sitting on the train, bored. Just before his eyes widened when he felt what appeared to have been a shockwave pass over him and the other passengers.
"What was that?" a passenger questioned, alarmed.
"That felt like an explosion," another added.
Just before Jake was about to open his mouth, the train stopped in front of the next platform. He sighed and got off his seat, managing to get through the doorway before anyone else, running through the entire station, edger to reach fresh air.
"Gotta get outta here before I do catch claustrophobia," Jake winced at what he just said to himself.
He soon hit the street where, he took off on his skateboard, knowing where exactly he was going. And the black sedan was not far off, it's driver smiling devilishly.
'American Dragon,' he thought, 'We've got you now!"
